An enormous great white shark scared holidaymakers after it was spotted lurking off a coast as people enjoyed a public holiday.
The beast, a great white shark that’s 10ft 3in long called “Penny”, was spotted in Ocean City in New Jersey, USA, today (Monday, May 29) as Americans celebrate Memorial Day.
The fish, which weighs a massive 37st (522lbs) was seen around 7am just as beachgoers were starting to arrive to celebrate the holiday.
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The shark was first put on researchers Osearch’s watchlist in late April, who said that she’s a hefty beast especially given that she is still a young shark, MailOnline reports.
The shark was named after Salty Penny Canvas in Morehead City, North Carolina, which the non-profit company said has “helped our team with custom marine canvas projects that provide a more comfortable experience on the water and allow us to operate in tougher conditions.”
“We’re grateful for the Penny family for their support of our research and can’t wait to see what Penny the shark teaches us,” they added.
The researchers warned beachgoers to be on the lookout for more great white sharks, as this time of year is when they migrate from Florida into the northeast of the US, before making their way to Canada.
The warning came just days after a 15-year-old girl in the same state that Penny was spotted in was horrifically bitten by a shark when she went to go surfing for the very first time, the Daily Star reported.
Emergency services were quick to rescue the girl from the water and she was transported to a nearby hospital, where she received treatment for lacerations to her foot and calf requiring six stitches.
Officials for Stone Harbour, the town where the attack took place, said that they have so far been unable to figure out what sort of shark attacked the girl, but added that they were investigating the incident.
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